Magnetic clutch.



PATENTBD AUC. 14. 1906.

L. T. GIBBS. MAGNETIC CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2,1905.

@XMIM/leones mounted a disk 3, lprovided efficient, so

dinately large clutch nnrrn LUCIUS T. GIBBS, OF HEMPSTEAD, NEW YURK.

MAGNET@ CLU'E'C'H,Il

Specicaton of'Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. ld, 1906.

Application led August 2. 1905. Serial No. 272,296.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIUs T. GIBBs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hempstead, in the county of Nassau, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magnetic Clutches, of which the following is a speciiicationreference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of the same.

My invention relates to friction-clutches of the type in which the friction-surfaces are pressed together by the energy of an electromagnet under the control of the operator.

, The chief object of my invention is to rovide mechanism of this kind which shal be extremely compact, as Well as thoroughly that large power can be transmitted without the necessity of employing inordevices.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind whichl can be readily assembled and'readily taken apart to permit quick access to its various arts, and also to provide means whereb t e centrifugal force of the ra idly-revolving clutch will release the clutc d'evices when the circuit of the electromagnet is broken.

To these land other ends the invention consists of the novel features of construction, arrangements `of parts, and combinations of elements hereinafter described, and more' particularly set forth in the claims.

Referring now'to'the drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is an end view of the referred embodiment, and Fig. 2vis a centralongitudinal'sec-` ti'on.

1 and 2 are shafts arranged end to end, as

shown in Fig, 2, either of which is connected with the driving engine or motorl and the other with the apparatus, to which power is to be delivered." On one of the shafts-as, for example, that indicated by Z-is rigidly with an axiallyextending flange 4. inwardly extending from the flange 4 is a series of spaced disks or lates -5, loosely keyed to the said flange. ghe disks or plates 5 are in the form of rings, and within t e openings thereof, rigidly secured to the shaft 1, is an iron spool 6, constituting the core of an (electromagnet, the winding of which is indicated by 7. Surrounding the spool and firmly secured there- 'to is a sleeve 8, and extending outwardly from the latter between the disks 5 are friction-disks 9. It will now be clear that if the 9 be firmly pressed together, so as to develo great friction between# them, the effect be the same as if the two shafts 1' and 2 were rigidly connected and the motion of the shaft, which is driven by theengine, Will be transmitted to the other. For the pupose of thus forcing the disks or plates 5l an 9 together the following. devices are provided: Inside of the edge of the flange 4 is a curved groove 10, providing a' bearing for the outer. ends 11 of a plurality of sector-shaped armature -levers 12. The armature -levers disks 5 and extend radially inward. toward the shaft 1 and are arranged to swing longitudinally of the case. Each lever is provided with an arc-shaped boss or rib 13 to bear against a similar rib 14 on the outermost plate 5.

rlhe armature-levers stand normally, when theelectromagnet is not energized, in the position shown in Fig.l 2-that1s, with their 1n, ner ends abutting against a stop formed by a removable collar 15 on the shaft 1. When the electromagnet 6 is energized by a suitable source of current, (not shown), the inner ends of the armatures are drawn toward the magnet, causing the armatures to bear with great force a ainst the outermost disk 5, with the result t at all the disks are firmly ressed together. As soon as the circuitoft eelectromagnet is broken the centrifugal force of the revolving armatures, which force has, oi' course, been exerted all the time on them, becomes effective and causes them to fly outward to the position shown in li1g-v2aga1nst the stop-ring 15. The pressure on the friction-disks 5 and 9 bein thus relieved the shaft which carries the foad speedily comes to rest, while the other may continue to revolve. rlhe release of the clutch bycentrifugal force is very quick, and belng erfectly automatic it is edected merely'by reaking the magnet-circuit.

The winding of the electromagnet may be connected with its source of current 1n any suitable way-as, for example, by means of slip-rings 16 17. The latter are msulated from the shaft 1 and are connected with the magnet-windin by wires 18 19 throu h va bore in the shaft, as shown in Fig. 2. uitable brushes (not shown) connected with the terminals of the source of current are provided to bear on the slip-rings in the usual wa I liii order to ermit the clutch to be' assembled easily and quickly, the grooved edge of the. Hang@ 41's made of larger' diameter than IOO Ello

the fest of the flange, so that 4when the armaspecification constitute merely the preferred ture-levers are not inplacethe disks 5 and 9 may readily be slipped in position from the open side of the casing or box formed lby the disk 3 and its lflange 4. The armature-levers 12 may be quickly removed by taking olf the stop-collar 15 and then swinging the levers directly out of their groove. To replace the levers, the operation is simply reversed and the stop-collar then secured mposition. Any

number of armature-levers may be provided,

eight of them being showninFig. 1, each-being substantially one-eighth of the. circumferencein` extent,.to provide only suicient clearance between them to per-mit free action. The casing 'of the clutchl is -thussubstantially closed and the armature-levers cannot become displaced relative to `eachother by 'moving to one side orthe other as the clutch revolves, as might be the case if. they were not wide enough to engage one another. It will be understood, of course, that the bearings or pivots 11 of the armatures do not fit the groove 10perfectly, as inthat case-the peripheral curvature of the groove would bind and preventthem from swin ing freely. Instead the pivots 11 are slig tly smaller cross-section than-the groove, or theyv may be perfectly straight', so as to engage the groove only ati, their ends. If desired, the groove maybe Aspecially formed atthe best. bearings the proper pointstogive as will bereadily for the armature-pivots, understood;

Itis customary incltchesmofthis character to inclose the entire device in a-liquidtightA casing filled with oil, and; infact, if it is desired 'that the clutch ,should have long life itl is practically-essential that'it be immersed in-oil.' It will be understood, ofcourse, that my clutch may be provided with such an oilcasing, ifl'desi-red; but inasmuch as the same isa- -well-understood expedient it need not be illustrated herein.

Aaalready explained in the embodiment shown in-Fig'.- 2', one of the shafts-is connected with the-driving engine or'rnotor and the other 'with the load w ch is to be driven; In otherI words,.- ythe clutch is constructed f for direct? "l transmission. Where the clutch is to be used to transmit power 'to a load which is to bedriven at a speed lgreaterfor -less than the engine speed, the `ydisk 3 will be rigidly connected'with' a gear-wheel'and will be mounted to revolve upon instead of with its shaft. The ear-wheel just mentioned will then mesh lwith 4a gear connected 'with' the load 'whichl is te be'driven. Irl-@this caseit will ofcourse be understood that fthe'shafts -1 and 2 form-one continuousshaft, which -is K kconnected with; or driven by the engine.

The arrangement of gears just described is ver-y commonfin` this art; and henceneed not be further described or illustrated herein.-

The ldevices specifically vdescribed in this the said friction-disks together,

embodiment of my invention, and it/ will be understood by those skilled in the" art that the same may be embodied in widely-varying forms without departure from its proper scope.

What I claim is-v 1. In a magnetic clutch, the combination of one or more friction-disks arranged transverselyabout a power-driven shaft'- and connected witha load to be driven, one'orl more friction-disks arranged transversely about the same shaft and connected therewith, the firstmentioned disk or disks being arranged alternately with the last-mentioned, a plurality of'- lradial armature-levers arranged to swing lonadaptedto press gitudinally of the shaft, and

andeilectromagnetic means for actuating the armaturelevers, as set forth.

2. In a magnetic clutch, thecombination of one or more friction-disks arranged'about a power-driven-shaft and connected with a load to be driven, one or more friction-disks arranged about the same shaft and connecten therewith, the first-mentionedy disk or disks being arranged alternately with the lastmentioned, aplurality of radial armaturelevers adapted to .press the said frictiondisks together, and electromagnetic means at the axis .of the clutch vfor actuating thesarmature-levers, asset forth.-

3.v In amagneticclutch, the combination of one Aor more frctionedisks arranged about a power-driven -shaft, .and connected vwith la load to be driven, one or more frictiondisks arranged about the same shaft and *connected therewith, the first-mentioned or' disks being arranged alternately with the'- last-mentioned, a plurality ofA radial :armaL ture-levers. voted at'vthe peripheryofthe disks`A and apted .to press the disks together, and electromagnetic means for actuating the armature-levers, as set forth..

4; In a ymagnetic clutch, the-"conrbination ofone or more friction-disks arranged about a :powerLdriven shaft' and connected with a load to be driven, one or more friction-disks arranged about the same shaft and connected therewith, the first-mentitmed diskor disks being arranged alternately with thelastmentioned, a plurality of radial arnmture-leb4 vers pivoted at theperiphery of thedisks and y arranged to press the disks together, and electroma'gneticmeans at the axis of the cluteh for actuating the armati-ire'-levers,- asset forth.

5. In a magnetic clutch, the combinationof one or morefriction-disks arranged 'about a power-driven shaft/and *connectedy withl Lal load to-be driven, one or more friction-disks arranged about the same shaft and 'connected thereWith,- the first-mentioned' disk' or disks being arranged alternately withthe last-'- mentioned, a plurality of radial armature-le- IOO IIO

izo

vers pivoted at the periphery of the disks and adapted to press the disks together, and a single electromagnet at the axis of the clutch for actuating all the armature-levers, as set forth.

6. In a magnetic clutch7 the-combination of a plurality of radially-arranged armaturelevers, electromagnetic means for actuating the levers in one direction, and a stop for limiting their movement in the opposite direction When the electromagnetic means is denergized, as set forth.

7. In a magneticclutchfthe combination of a cylindrical casing containing friction devices, said casing having a bearing-groove at Wardly from the edge of the casing and aving its end fitting the groove to permit the lever to swing on the said end as a pivot, said groove and pivot end being constructed to permit the latter to be released from the groove when the lever is swung outwardly from the casing, and a removable stop to engage the lever and prevent such release, as

set forth.

LUCIUS T. GIBBS. Witnesses:

M. LAWSON -DYER JOHN C. KEER. 

